The Girl Who Played With Scissors
by Metatron85
Summary: Summary: Sikowitz gives Tori some radical advice: secretly observe a subject and study the footage to understand acting naturally. When Tori chooses Jadelyn West of all people, she gets more than she bargained for. What will she do when she sees what these video diaries contain?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Introduction: ****_I'm back. Needed time for my brain to defrag. I was a little concerned about the lukewarm reception to my second story so I really wanted to work real hard and spend more time on this one. One big change is the inclusion of author's notes like this; I feel that it makes the reader comfortable with the writer and it helps clarify things. So, did I get you with the title? It was this time last year that I was getting into Stieg Larsson's book series and I just loved the titles he used. Well, better get back to work. A writer writes. Always. So, enjoy and please let me know what you think. _**

* * *

"And…ACTION!"

Erwin Sikowitz, brilliant acting teacher though a little bit…off. He stands straight in an almost meditative state. The man's frenzied hair matching his Technicolor garb, accessorized with a satchel filled with coconuts apparently. Cat Valentine, a student of his, said that he reminded her of a movie where a man washed up on a deserted island and went insane. She thinks she remembers the man eventually making friends with one of his coconuts and drawing a face on it.

At the call of this most important stage direction, Tori Vega inhales and holds it for two seconds before releasing her breath. She shakes her head and blinks as if experiencing an electric shock that unlocked another part of her brain.

"Why, yes, do come in" Tori was attempting a Southey accent but she sounded as much from Boston as a Martian.

Beck sashays onto the boards and stroking imaginary suspenders says, "Alright, Miss. We just received word that there's been a disturbance in the, uh, apartment above you." Beck's British accent from that sleepover exercise really helped him in forming that Americanized Irish dialect. "We went over to investigate and found a man dead. Did you hear anything?"

Tori's rubs her hands nervously but tries to incorporate the habit into her character but her teacher can see right through the ruse. "See, my husband's been to the bar. He should be back…"

"CUT! CUT! Cut, Cut, Cut! CUT!"

Tori and Beck whip their heads around, facing their instructor. "Okay, Beck, good work but let's tweak that accent. Less Ben Affleck from _Good Will Hunting._" Beck nods and steps down.

Sikowitz turns to Tori, placing his hands over his mouth for a moment. "Now, Tori." He lets out big sigh. "You need to watch _Good Will hunting_ for pointers."

Tori slumps her posture, hurt. "Oh!" as she usually drags out. "Was my accent that bad?"

"Quite," he curtly replies. "But that isn't your biggest problem."

Now Tori was really feeling defeated up there. On the stage she was a good half-foot above the class but at this moment she felt 2 inches tall.

Tori gulps, "Then what then?"

"Your acting was too wooden. I have been telling you for months that you need to stop being so rigid. Basically, when I see you act, I'm very aware that you're playing a part. It doesn't seem organic; like you're really that person."

Abashed, Tori stood. She felt like the wind was knocked out of her sails. He couldn't sugarcoat it anymore. It was a critique that was a long time coming. She has improved greatly on the technical aspect but needs to strengthen her chops. When the bell rings, everyone files out but Tori stays behind.

"Sikowitz," Tori approaching her teacher.

"Yes, Tori?"

Her tone was a desperate one. "I don't know what to do. I want to do better but I can't begin to think of how to improve…"

"Tori, okay" Sikowitz grabs her shoulders as if to keeper her from flying away. "Calm down. Everybody has this problem. Heck, I once did. When I look at you, I can see a younger me."

Tori's eyes widen. "Really?"

"Yes. Some actors have the innate ability to put on a mask and completely fool the audience with their identity. Such people tend to be terrific liars and such people are more often than not survivors of great personal trauma." He smiles. "Then there are some that need to learn how to dismantle society's filters and just let the acting flow forth."

"I still don't understand."

"When we're kids, we want to dress up and make believe all the time. To imagine ourselves as someone else, to imagine something else; we don't give it a moment's thought. We just do it. That is what an actor is. Someone whose job is to make pretend."

Sikowitz sits on one of the desks nearby Tori.

"Another thing about kids is they don't care. They're not looking for the approval of their peers or their elders. Not when they're at play. Your problem is, and I see this a lot, is you keep second guessing yourself. You were meant to take that lesson from the Bird Scene and apply it for the rest of your life."

"So, what you think I should do?"

He takes on a coconut with a straw already in it, seemingly from behind his back, and sips it periodically.

"Here's what I want you to do: make a video diary."

Tori looks at him confused. "About what?"

"Not what; who."

Now she was really confused.

"Okay," he stand with gravitas. "I want you to quietly and secretly observe a person for several days. Get as close as you can without being detected. The person you choose must never know they are being taped."

"Why?"

"They must feel comfortable enough to behave normally in their environment. And what you take away from this footage is a studying tool. Examine the mannerisms and movements and other minutia of that subject's routine. That way you can see just what it takes to add those touches of realism to a character. You can get back on that stage and be more a human being rather than just doing a part."

"Who should I record? Can I use my family?"

"No! It can't be someone that familiar. With me saying that I don't want you following a perfect stranger either. I was thinking more of one of the students here at Hollywood Arts. That way if you are "made" you can justify being in the area. Maybe one of your friends? I don't imagine you know EVERYTHING about them?"

One immediately popped into her head. "There's one."

"Good! Follow this person and try to be secret about it. Of course, you know that there is a fine line when we get into…personal space."

"Oh, don't worry. I know there are some things that don't need to be taped."

"That's why I wouldn't dream of offering this proposal to anyone else. You are a nice person, Tori. You would never use such a thing as a means to get at someone. So, good luck. And don't tell me who your subject is. This whole thing is to be kept to yourself."

Sikowitz leans in. "If you tell anyone, I will deny everything" me smiles.

Tori leaves the classroom with her head spinning about how she is going to conceal her surveillance. She needs to think fast while she borrows the camcorder from the video tech lab. Jade leaves right after this period.


	2. Chapter 2

Tori was breathless when she came upon the school parking lot. She secreted the camcorder in her backpack as she continued forward. Finally making it to Jade's car, she had less than two minutes before the final bell rang out. Tori never cut class before but it was necessary for her to stowaway.

Jade usually leaves a window open to keep the hot air out so it wasn't unbearable when she got inside. Tori crawls inside the small space allowed by that passenger side window and climbs into the backseat. There is a dark blanket back there that Jade keeps there for those cooler nights when she would park somewhere secluded and lay back on her roof. At least back when she was with Beck.

This time the blanket was covering various boxes, heavy with their contents. Tori didn't give it much thought. It was Jade, after all. She carefully but swiftly moved a few boxes to the floor behind the front seats. Just enough room for her to crouch on the backseat. Tori draped the blanket in a way so to cover everything plus the backseat floor, so Jade hopefully won't notice that something was moved.

It was stifling under that thick wool blanket. An afghan would have given holes for Tori to breathe. Those last few seconds between the bell ringing and the click of the keys into the door lock felt like an eternity.

The auto jostled a little when Jade sat down. Tori felt nothing on the passenger side. _Good._ She only had to hide from one person today. The engine revved up and Tori could feel the them moving. The driving was nothing particularly noteworthy except for one occasion when Tori felt like she was going to fly out of the car at the same time she heard a loud skidding noise. She couldn't hear anything to indicate who the other driver was but Jade certainly gave him an earful.

After about fifteen minutes, the car parks and shuts off. The door opens and closes. Tori counts to twenty elephants and dares to peek out from her camouflage. Jade is nowhere in sight. Tori focuses a little and makes out an antiques shop. Through the window, she sees Jade talking with the owner. _What is she doing there? _Fortunately, the camera is small enough to film it all while keeping Tori below Jade's sight if she looks back. Tori goes back in hiding when Jade steps out the shop door, pocketing a small stack of bills.

The car starts again. This time it was longer than the first ride. Tori hears Jade's phone ring.

"Yeah," Jade never a fan of hello. "What's up Cat?" There was a short silence. Tori could only imagine what the little redhead could be saying. "I don't know," Jade continues. "Call her phone then."

Jade groans. "Cat! I don't know where Tori is. Just call her!" She cuts off the conversation and tosses the phone to the seat next to her. Tori silently panics and scrambles for her phone to change the ringer to silent. She just narrowly makes it before Cat's call comes through. Tori stares at the screen until the call goes missed.

The car stops after a short while and Jade gets out. This time Tori waits even longer than before on the off chance this wasn't another quick stop. When her phone indicated that a half hour had past, she creeps out from under the blanket. They're stopped at Jade's house. The car is parked on a driveway that is several yards from the residence. Tori takes the opportunity to pull the door lock tab and lets herself out. She relocks the door and carefully shuts it until she hears an audible click.

Tori checked her phone. She still had about an hour before sundown. She told her mom that she would be home by dinner. Sneaking up the drive toward the house, Tori couldn't help but think about that horror movie Cat, Andre and Robbie dragged her to about a home invasion. She shook her head thinking that in all reality it would have been Jade lurking outside her house.

She hides behind a large tree facing a window. Looking in, Tori spots Jade making something to eat in the kitchen. Tori readies her camera to begin recording again. Jade puts the ingredients in a skillet and places it over the stove, lightly tossing its contents around. Suddenly the room goes dark and through the corner of Tori's eye the yellow light outside the front goes out, too.

Jade looks around, annoyed. She checks the wall switch. No change. Jade then picks up her phone from the counter and tries to make a call. Her face droops and she glances at her phone and shakes it. Jade then picks up the skillet and tosses it into the sink and storms out of the kitchen.

Tori tries to follow her movements to the next room. It looks like a living room but it's almost completely bare. The only thing there is a modest pile of pillows. Jade sits down on the makeshift chair and lights a candle on the floor beside her. She grabs a small book and begins writing in it.

With her free hand, Tori texts her mom saying that she will be late coming home and that she already is having dinner with friends. After pressing send, she gives her full attention back to the lonely girl inside this big empty house. _Where is all the furniture? Where are her parents? What's going on? _


	3. Chapter 3

**Glad to see so much of you enjoying the story. Your kind words keep this engine running. I have to say; chapters like this without dialogue are the strangest for me to write. I tried to keep it interesting with sprinkling in inner dialogue from Tori. For those of you who commented on her sneaky behavior, wait...**

* * *

A glint of light in the next window catches Tori's attention. It was moving; Jade was on the move. When the ground floor went completely black, Tori then stares up at the second floor windows eagerly waiting for the illumination to appear. Sure enough, the candle has settled on a new location. _Could it be Jade's room?_

The tree overlooking the living room had a thick branch that led to the flat part of the shingle roof. Putting the camera back in her sack to have both hands free, Tori scaled the arbor. She was reluctant to make the leap to the house but soon mustered up the courage to leave the sturdy limb behind. Her legs momentarily dangled over the edge before she was able to drag herself the rest of the way on the roof. Tori couldn't believe what she has been doing the last two hours. How Jade looked in that seemingly abandoned house made her heart split. It peaked her curiosity, to say the least.

Crawling on her hands and knees, the backpack dangling like a baby monkey attached to its mother, Tori made her way to the lit window. Suddenly, the light went out. Tori stops for a second and when she sees nothing happen, continues on. The window had a latch similar to the ones in her house. She knew that it was unlocked. Peering inside, she could make out a desk and a bed. _It was her bedroom and there she was_. The pale, almost angelic face was relaxed. Her chest rose and fell softly. The hair as black as outer space spread out nearly hiding the white of the pillow. Tori has to regard the sight for about an undisturbed minute. She was so pretty when she sleeps.

Tori shakes her head at the off ramp that thought was leading her. She positions her hands at opposing sides of the window, takes a breath deeper and longer than any one she took in her life, and gently began opening it. Luckily, the window didn't make much of a sound but Tori kept checking periodically on the sleeping Jade across the room. Still in slumber serenely. Considering her domestic situation and how she seemed at school, it was a minor victory that Tori held for Jade because at least there was a time in the day when she was at peace.

_Standing in Jade's room. Cross that off the list of places I never saw myself ever visiting._ The door leading out was right next to the bed. If Tori didn't do this perfectly, Jade would surely wake up this time. She grips the knob tightly, despite being really tense and clammy. Another inhale as she turns the knob until it couldn't turn anymore, opens enough to slide her slender form through, and carefully close it behind her. She slowly allows the knob to turn back to its original position, trying to soften the click of the bolt. Finally, she exhaled. In a brief panic, she felt around her chest until feeling the strap of her backpack. _If I had left it in that room, I would have been S.O.L._

Sneaking down the corridor, minding the floorboards for creaky ones that would give her away. She knew she wasn't Jade's favorite person to begin with but to be mistaken for a burglar would definitely not warrant a reaction beneficial for her. Digging in her bag, she finds that little flashlight keychain from Cat that she keep forgetting to put on her keys. It wasn't much, but it's better than nothing. Even in this dark abyss, Tori Vega can still make it shine. Er, spark rather.

She makes her way downstairs and ends up in the kitchen. Jade's phone was on the counter where she left it earlier. No wonder she had trouble calling someone about the power. It was dead and obviously she couldn't charge it. Jade probably didn't have a car charger because that's what Tori would have tried.

Looking up, Tori spots an air vent. She then has an idea.

* * *

The next day, Tori commandeers Robbie Shapiro into the janitor's closet and grills him on wireless video feeds. And later that night, Tori would return to the West residence dressed head to toe in black with a few tools. She undoes the screws to the air vents and places small digital cameras (four in all) in Jade's kitchen, living room, bedroom and facing the front door. The best part they are night vision capable.

Tori knew that Jade would never admit to having a problem and she certainly wouldn't accept any help. To hell with the assignment. Tori would watch Jade West like a hawk and get some answers. She doesn't care what she may think; this is unacceptable. _Jade may not be perfect, but she deserves better than this. _


	4. Chapter 4

After an intense I.T. session, Robbie was able to sync up the wireless video signal to Tori's Pearphone.

"Okay, there you go," Robbie handing Tori back her phone. "All ready to go. You should get the video in real time…more or less."

Tori glared at him bemused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, depending on the distance and rate of buffering; there should be a delay by about a minute, give or take."

"It's fine. It will do."

"Tori?" Robbie asks, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to tell me what all this is for?"

Tori almost dropped her newly programmed phone at the question. "What?"

Robbie folds his arms judgingly. "Come on, Tor. You've been acting very shady."

Tori thought and when she realized she was letting too much time pass, she blurted out the first thing. "It's a prank. A prank on Trina." She adds a smile to sell the story.

"Huh?"

"You know; remember that time when she made me flunk the driver test last month? Because her stupid car failed inspection."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I am trying to pull off the greatest practical joke ever and I want it all for prosperity." She pockets her phone. "You think I like being the only one of my friends without a license?"

"Okay, okay; let's not get into that again. Touchy subject, got it."

Tori leans in close enough to fog up the boy's lenses. "Can you keep this to yourself? Don't tell even Cat. I don't want Trina to find out second hand."

"It's in the vault. Just promise me something."

"What?"

"You're still worrying me. Whatever you're up to; it's not sitting right with me. I just don't want you to go past a point you can't come back from."

Tori's guard was up but she couldn't help but show an appreciative face for the concern. "Thanks, Rob."

* * *

Two days after the initial surveillance setup. Tori's room was dark except for her computer screen. She watched the monitor with intent, the display split into four corners. Jade's domicile had an eye in the sky. She bathed in the emerald glow from the PC monitor; night vision was her only means of seeing.

At school today, Jade was in a particularly foul mood, even for her. Every time someone approached her or tried to talk to her, she was jumpy. She even blew off Cat. There were very hard feelings against Beck and no feelings at all for the sisters Vega. But Cat Valentine? Even Jade wasn't that heartless. And yet there she was, even more of an island.

Only Tori knew the truth. Jade West had more than her fair share on her mind. She wouldn't be surprised if the world was on her shoulders right now. Tori noticed something strange with her display all of a sudden. She rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't an illusion. Color. Jade's house had power again. Now able to see much better than ever before, the emptiness of the house was more obvious.

Tori watched as Jade moved in and out of her house several times, each time carrying in a box. _She must be emptying her car._ Were these the same boxes as before when she was hiding in the backseat? Once there was six boxes total in the foyer, Jade takes out her phone and dials while fumbling through the boxes. Her back was to the camera facing the front door, so Tori couldn't make out what was in those boxes.

Jade paces around, talking on the phone. The audio is muddled. Tori was kicking herself that these little cameras were not capable to record listenable sound from inside those damn ducts. But then the computer's speakers reverberated with a sound loud enough to make the vent shake. Jade was yelling at the person on the other line but the echo made it totally inept.

_This is getting nowhere fast_, Tori thought. _Even if I am seeing what could very well be the answer, my reconnaissance is a failure. I may not be flying blind but I sure feel deaf at the moment._

Some time passes. Tori didn't check her computer's clock. And Jade is now seen running to the front door.

It opens and two tall, darkly-dressed men barge into the house. Jade backs up, gesturing to the boxes lying on the floor. One of them crouches down to check the boxes while the other talks to Jade. The checker stands up and says something to the other guy. This makes the one talking to Jade pull out a gun.

Tori's heart sinks.

Jade puts up her hands in a defensive matter, apparently trying to plead with the gunman. The other runs out and in less than half a minute comes back in holding something small, square and black. The man pointing the gun at Jade grabs the object with his free hand and brandishes it.

Next thing Tori hears is a horrendous boom amplified by the camera's mic. Jade collapses, slumping into the entrance to the dining area, out of Tori's sight. Panic and grief rose like a storm inside her chest. She couldn't see Jade; only the shooter walking out of the house with his partner in tow.

Tori dials 911 and gets put on hold. Suddenly the call was lost. _Shit._ _And Dad was away at a police conference._ It was then she knew what she had to do.

She locks up the house, making sure not to wake anybody. Tori checked Trina's key for the right one and with that Tori went from following to grand theft auto.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author: Now we are really getting things in motion. Thanks again for all your kind and enthusiastic reviews. Special shout out to all of you who are following and have favorited the story. I hope this will make everybody happy and most of all, thirsty for the next installment. Enjoy ;-)**

* * *

The hardwood floor was smooth but ice cold. Jade clutches the hole in her chest, trying to keep more blood from flowing out. That on the other hand was warm and sticky.

_How could I have been so stupid? The last thing I should have done was underestimate these people. It was supposed to be simple. I finish the job and they let them go. But then they kept coming back. Again. And again. So far, they haven't kept their end of the bargain. I wonder if they were still alive. No, I can't let myself think like that. _

Her faces winces at the pain as she tightens her grips on the wound. It's painful as hell but it must be done to stop the bleeding.

_I dodged a bullet, so to speak. I wasn't dead, so my heart was spared. It hurt to breathe but I'm sure they missed my lungs, too. Hopefully I was convincing enough. Otherwise…_

The door knob begins to turn. Jade shakes from pain and now this time fear.

_Oh shit! They're coming back for me. They didn't buy it and they're gonna shoot me in the head just to be sure. _

The front door opens slowly with a minor creak.

Jade shuts her eyes tightly; much more so than necessary to make a convincing corpse. She didn't care how it killed the ruse, the last thing Jade wanted to do was witness her true demise, even by accident. She would not give her murderer the satisfaction of eye contact. A hand touches her shoulder and tries to roll her from her side to her back.

"No! No! No!" Jade shouts.

Suddenly, a familiar voice both calms and bemuses her. "Jade! Oh, God, Jade! Listen, It's me!"

"Vega?" _Not possible. What was she doing here? Am I going crazy?_

"Jade, I finally got through to 911. They're on their way here now."

_"Finally?" What did she mean? She just got here. Aaahhhhh! Getting colder. Head's spinning. _

"Jade? Jade? Answer me! Jade, please stay with me! Jade….."

_Room getting darker. _

* * *

Jade was laid up in intensive care for hours. Tori continued to wait diligently outside in the lounge. She replayed the events in her head a thousand times. She had these pieces but the picture made no sense. She was missing a great deal and would not get the info until Jade comes out of it.

The doctors said that she was lucky, which is ironic. The bullet narrowly missed her lungs and heart. All things considered, it was surprising that no internal bleeding occurred. It was just a matter of getting out the bullet and handing it over to the cops for analysis. Tori had a sinking feeling when she thought about the authorities. Now that Jade's house was technically a crime scene, the boys in blue would start digging around and it would only be a matter of time before they stumble across Tori's personal (and illegal) television channel.

She wished she didn't care about Jade so much, even before the events of the last few nights. Had Tori been more selfish, she could have removed the incriminating evidence from the house before calling 911. But she didn't think about it at the time (or at least she didn't care) because Jade was the first thing she saw running in that house. Motionless, temperature waning, caked in her own blood.

Tori shook the shocking image out of her head long enough to acknowledge the surgeon approaching her. She stood up, almost knocking over the chair. "How is she?"

The doctor sighed. "We got the bullet. It's being processed into evidence. They'll get whoever did this."

Tori put her hand over her chest to somehow will her heart to beat at a saner pace.

"And Jade?"

"She had to be put under, I'm sure you understand. It's going to take time for her to come out of it and even when she first does, her awareness will be questionable."

Tori nodded. Even with Trina's oral surgery, that stuff can be a heavy load on your head.

"Can I see her?"

The doc starts fumbling with his clipboard. "Normally, I would say no. But it couldn't hurt to have someone familiar when she comes out of it. Just remember don't allow her to overexert herself. Let her take it easy."

The lab coat walks away and Tori proceeds down the bright corridor.

* * *

The room was quiet except for the sound of Tori dragging a chair to Jade's side; the metal legs scrapping the tile floor horribly. Tori could make out movement beneath her eyelids, so she was confident that Jade was indeed okay.

"Jade," she managed to whisper softly. "I know I was probably the last person you expected to see. There is a good reason but I don't know how to tell you…"

The beeping of the heart monitor on the other side of the bed keeps breaking Tori's concentration.

"I've come to care for you and when I really care for somebody, well, people accuse me of giving too much." Tori smiles, "Remember when Cat needed a model for her make-up effects project and it got stuck on me?"

She holds Jade's hand, forcing the pale fingers to intertwine with her own.

"You refused to let me in. I mean, you kind of keep most people at arm's length I suppose. But it drove me crazy that you would not allow me to be a friend for you. So, I let myself in since you wouldn't." Tori starts to cry. "Jade, what is going on? What are you mixed up in? Where the hell are your parents, for that matter? Look, whatever trouble you're in, I can help but you need to trust me."

She wipes her tears away. "You need to confide in _somebody_." Her grip on the unconscious girl's hand gets tighter still. "I wish I could get inside your head and you could tell me. The sooner they catch these guys the better. I saw them, you know. And I saw how you were. You know them; you must know where they are."

Tori's one-sided interrogation is disturbed by Jade's phone ringing. It's in an oversized plastic bag on the table along with her jewelry and some cash, labeled "WEST, JADELYN – PATIENT 74643500 – PERSONAL EFFECTS." The clothes she came in with must have also been seized by the police. She takes it out and presses "Send" to answer the call.

"Hello?" Tori nervously asks, unfamiliar with the number on the display.

"Who is this?" The voice was low, like the rumbling of storm clouds.

Tori gulps and forces out an answer, "A friend of Jade's."

There was a long pause. "I see," the man on the other end responded. "She's dead, then?"

The question made Tori almost collapse. It was them. Could she be talking to one of the suits from the house? Could this be the shooter himself?

"She's not looking good," Tori half lied.

"Listen, I wanted a shakedown not a police investigation. Do I have you to thank for that?"

Now she was the one pausing, but not for effect. "No."

The disembodied voice inhales and exhales slowly. He didn't believe her for a second but he didn't know her and for once, nothing in Tori's voice gave anything away. Damned if he could prove she was lying unless maybe she was looking at him in the eye. "Fine, we'll go with your answer."

"I just wanted to get her a doctor. They're the ones who called the co…"

"Look here," cutting her off. "I have doctors in my employ for just this occasion. But no, now my people in this section of L.A. have to lay low while the cops are poking around."

"I," Tori began.

The stranger cuts her off again. "You can call me Lucas. I am in…business with your friend. Actually, it wasn't even her at first. She was just continuing the payment of a debt. Wish I had such a good daughter."

Flashes of Jade's parents flooded Tori's head. _What were they up to? How does Jade fit into all this?_

"I don't understand," Tori said in a pathetic tone.

"Here's what is going to happen: you take this phone and answer whenever I call. I will guide you through every step."

"Why Jade's phone?"

"Because I have already low-jacked it. Let's see: you are in Lourdes Memorial on the fourth floor, if I'm not mistaken."

Tori held her breath.

"In the west wing," he finishes and then chuckles after a second. "Appropriate, don't you think?"

Tori leans against the wall, sliding down onto the floor.

"One more thing." Tori didn't answer. "You may be new to this but I have a good idea how long it takes to carry out. If I feel you are taking too long at every checkpoint, I have to assume you are trying to get help. Oh, by the way, leave your own phone behind." He hangs up.

Tori nods, despite not being seen by the man. She gets herself up, places her Pearphone on the table next to Jade's belongings, and reluctantly steps outside. She silently cursed herself when the phone rang for the first set of instructions once she steps out of the hospital. _Why did I answer the phone?_


	6. Chapter 6

"Very good," Lucas using a smarmy tone. "You succeeded with your first instruction."

Tori swallows hard; the kind of tough swallow you get when you're very depressed. She was numb in her sister's car; like she was out of her body.

"Now keep it up and we'll get along fine." Tori starts the car. "Got gas?"

"Um, three quarters of a tank," Tori can't help nodding as she speaks like Lucas has a visual on her.

"That's good. It's a bit of a drive."

She exits the hospital visitor's parking just on the other side of the emergency entrance, where Tori followed the ambulance a while ago.

"Take the first turn and get on the ramp. Stay on it as if you're going to Mulholland Drive but you're not."

Tori never drove on the highway before but she was afraid to allow her fear to show through. She was compliant but earnestly believed that she was holding enough back for Lucas not to have a handle on her. It was a sad delusion but it was all she had for that lonely drive.

"This exit right here." Tori gets off the highway. The road winds around to almost a full circle before leading her on a rural road.

"Where am I?"

"It's not important. You're going to have the accept that I don't care for being able to find your way back here."

"How will I?"

Lucas sighs. "Of course I will guide you back to the hospital? Or would you rather I show you the way home?"

The thought of giving this man her address made her sick to her stomach. "No. The hospital is fine. You're going to leave her alone, right?"

"I am many things but I won't snuff someone during their convalescence."

"I mean if I do this," Tori's features harden. "Will you leave Jade alone?"

Lucas chuckles. "Well, I certainly could. The same goes for you. Neither one of you mean anything to me." His tone gets dead serious. "Now Miss West's mommy and daddy on the other hand; they might not be so receptive to the end of our bargain."

Tori sobered up mentally. Whatever hints of tiredness and doubt buzzed around in her head subsided. That was their hold over Jade. "What bargain?"

"Let's just say, a father doesn't need to die for his children to inherit his debts. But the benefit of him being still alive is I can still collect somehow." She understood what he meant by that. If not Jade, then her friend will do. Ironically, Jade would be the last to consider them friends.

"Where…" Tori tripped over her words. "Where am I going now?"

"Slow down," he ordered sternly. "I don't need you getting pulled over."

Tori eases on the gas.

"Now, turn left at the second intersection."

More subtle directions followed. Even if Tori has a photographic memory, she still couldn't retain every facet of these directions. As disturbing a thought it was, Tori knew she was dependent on Lucas for getting her away from here.

_After the job_, that is.

_What the hell was he going to ask me to do?_ she thought.

* * *

The car finally parked and Tori was able to rest her legs. She got out of the car and immediately felt the Charlie horse on her left leg. Tori and the car was illuminated by a greenish-white light situated just outside a warehouse.

"What do I do?"

"Knock on the door. They're expecting you."

Tori slowly ascends the steps leading to the side door overlooking the fenced entrance. She knocks softly twice. No answer. She then hits it a little harder. Tori backs up as the door clicks and opens in almost the same motion.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" It was him. The man who shot Jade point blank just hours before.

Tori struggled with the words; a stutter gripped her progress. "Luc, Luc, Lucas sssaid that you had something for mmmme."

The suit stared the teen down and gestures behind him. "Well, get in already."

Tori enters and the towering gunman slams the door shut and locks it.

* * *

Tori is led to a massive room filled with boxed and crates. She turns around as almost soils herself when she finds Jade's attempted murderer is staring daggers in her eyes.

"You're new. Never seen you before."

"Lucas called me in tonight."

The gunman sniffs and pivots to walk away. "Wait here." Tori catches a glimpse of the gun he used sitting in his holster when his jacket swung open.

After about two minutes, the man returns with a brown package no bigger than a hatbox. He hands it to Tori who reluctantly receives the mystery parcel.

"What is it?"

The man groans to himself. "He warned me you ask too many questions."

Tori gulps and holds the package close to her, finding security in some object as she stands before this killer.

"What do I do with this?"

The man's frown grew. "What the hell do you mean 'what do I do with this'?" He pounds on the box with his finger, pointing to some writing. The strength of this pointing almost made Tori drop it. "You deliver it."

"To…Lucas?"

"No. Just take it to the address on the box. Do you think you can handle that?"

Did she have a choice? "Yeah."

The suit folds his arms. "Fine then. Off you go."

"Okay," Tori begins to walk toward the way she came in.

"Hold it. There's Two things you need to know. First, take good care of it It's…delicate."

Tori nods.

"Second, make sure that you get the hell out of Dodge when you drop it off."

"Why?"

"It would be best if you weren't around when…"

Tori leans in. "When what?"

"When that thing goes off."

Throw up rose in her mouth and she suppressed it.

"This is a bomb?"

"Worse," the man in black smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Tori sat in the car, doing a triple take when she read the address. _Jade's house? But why?_

None of this made sense. The package sat ominously on the passenger seat across from Tori. She stared at it, trying to diagnose its contents. _If not a bomb, what then? What could be worse than something to kill a person? _

Jade's phone startled Tori about four inches out of her seat. She answered.

"What are we doing?" Lucas sounded impatient.

"Nothing. I was just trying to be sure of the address." She hesitated for a moment. "Is it right?"

"Yes."

"Lucas, I don't get it. What are you trying to do?"

Any shred of lightheartedness in his tone quickly subsided. "Listen, 'friend of Jade's', I am not here to entertain your queries. Do as you're told and follow the directions as written. I will lead you back to the main highway."

Tori starts the car and drives away with one hand, holding the cell indefinitely to her head with the other. "Let me know when you know where to go," Lucas added.

This drive back felt longer than the one over. Tori's stomach was doing summersaults. It didn't help that she hasn't eaten a thing since she first came home from school. She pondered what to do and suddenly an idea flashed into her head. It was a risk but it was a chance for Tori to

Tori pulled up to Jade's dark, empty house. She stops the car and Lucas calls soon after. "Good, you made it. Is the package okay?"

"Yes. Wait, what about the cops?" Tori palmed her forehead when she saw the crime scene tape.

"Goddammit." A Long pause. "Okay, just go back to the hospital and bring it to Jade there. I want her to be in private when she gets it."

"I don't know if I can do that," Tori trying to sound stern.

"Relax, kid. It's not a bomb or anything. I've had a change of heart. I decided to let Jade and her parents go. I got everything I needed from them. Call it a parting gift."

Lucas hangs up and Tori puts the phone on top of the "gift." She still had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"What's in the box?"

Jade's voice surprised Tori. She was in a deep slumber the last time she saw her. Tori puts the box on the table where Jade has some water.

"I don't know," Tori said sounding out of breath. "It's not light."

Jade hits the controls on the bed and she raises up toward Tori's eye level as she sits beside her.

Jade reaches for the packaging to undo it and open it. Tori puts her hands on hers, stopping them.

"It was from Lucas."

Her eyes widened as she looked at Tori, "What?"

"He called you, I answered and next thing I knew I was picking up this package for you."

Jade leans back. "Vega, I don't know what possessed you to go along with this…"

"Jade! You were shot. For all I knew, these people are trying to kill you. I thought…"

Tori wipes her eyes before she starts. Jade's tone relaxes. "I'm sorry."

The words stunned Tori. Jade West apologizing? Being shot must have given her a sobering moment.

Jade muses to herself and proceeds to unwrap the parcel.

"Jade, are you sure you want to do this?"

"This isn't like Lucas, Vega. He isn't the sentimental type." Tori believes that.

Tori folds her arms. "Well, just be careful. I didn't like the way he sounded."

Jade waves her hand dismissively. "He's a guy who's used to getting exactly what he wants. You did good. You followed orders."

Before Tori could respond the mess of brown wrapping paper and open cardboard reveals a big hourglass.

"The hell," Jade exclaimed.

The sand was flowing through the narrow passage when Jade set it down on the table. She watched it, almost hypnotized.

Tori eyes a note in the corner of the box and opens it. She reads, "'Dear Jade, Let This Remind You To Always Make Time For Family.'" Tori makes a face. "So much for not being the sentimental type."

Jade's mind was suddenly reverting back to a memory of when her Great Aunt Shelby died. She knew there was something off about the color of this "sand."

"Tori," Jade's eyes were now filled with tears. Her lips quiver before uttering the next words. "These are ashes."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am pleased with your reviews of the last chapter. Exactly the reactions I wanted. I wanted your hearts to go out to Jade and I wanted you to HATE Lucas with a passion. We still have a lot more story to go. Believe me, do you really think I will allow someone to screw Jade over like this and not have repercussions. Since the previous installment probably ended on the darkest moment in anything I have ever written, I thought I would give everyone a treat with something very sweet. Enjoy ;-)**

* * *

Tori sat behind Jade in her hospital bed, clutching her friend as she unloads heavily. For almost two hours, Jade has alternated between soft sobs and earth-shattering screams that caused looks from passersby on the entire floor. Tori rocked back and forth for the whole time trying to offer some kind of comfort. Her sleeves were damp from Jade's tears.

The last of the dark grey sand has run through the hourglass a while ago. It stands like a monolith before Jade. She stares at it now and then and each time she just starts up again. Tori couldn't make out anything intelligible during those couple hours. It has been raw pain. It's as if someone blasted a damn open.

Only one person came in the whole time, an orderly, but Jade just screams at the intruder and he scurries away. Even at her lowest, Jade still had some semblance of dignity. She didn't want some stranger to see her like this. Hell, there was a time when Tori was the last person would ever see her cry. Ever since that first time her and Beck split, Jade remembered how comforting it was to confide in someone like her. She liked her friends a great deal but Tori was different.

She was compassionate like Cat but unlike Cat, Tori was better at…understanding. She had this ability to relate to another person's pain even if it came from a place she knew nothing about. And then she could be the very thing that broken person needed. It made Jade jealous sometimes. No wonder everyone liked her.

_No wonder I love her_, Jade thought.

_I feel like such an idiot. How long have they been dead? How long? Oh, God, he was stringing me along. I was a pack mule for that man. Every time I asked him if I was done, he had another "job" lined up. Dad's job kept calling. I was running out of excuses. Then the bill collectors called. I borrowed money from Cat, Andre, Robbie, even Beck. I couldn't do it anymore. They didn't need to suffer for my problems. Next thing I knew I was hocking our furniture just to keep the lights on and for food to stay alive. My Grandma's antique table was the biggest cut of all. I felt like such shit but what choice did I have? We didn't have much of value and my full time employment to Lucas scratched out any chance for me to go out and make some money. _

Jade's breath was shortening. She was losing the steam to cry as hard as she did earlier. Her whole body was exhausted. She just wanted to sleep. Before she knew it, Jade collapsed silently in Tori Vega's arms. When she turned her head to finally sleep, she caught a whiff of Tori's perfume. She smelled so nice. Like one of those holiday candles that made you feel warm and fuzzy for a moment. Considering what has transpired before, this moment was the most relaxed Jade has been for a very long time.

Despite her own tiredness, Tori couldn't bring herself to sleep. Not yet, anyway. She watched Jade sleep for a while first. Tori stroked her hair and hummed a lullaby that her mom used to sing to her when she was sick or too scared from a nightmare. In Jade's case, dreaming was her only escape from her troubles. Tori leaned back on the bed, letting Jade rest on top of her. Having Jade's head where Tori's chest is so she could feel her heartbeat was something she learned her dad did when she was a baby. Tori could just tell from Jade's serenity right now that in the weeks or months she hasn't had a mother or father; this was exactly what she needed. Someone to be there to protect her.

Even tough as nails Jade West desired for that moment of security when we were younger. Tori, too felt some comfort after this hectic night. She was holding the girl of her dreams like she was her favorite stuffed bear. She always respected Jade's talents at school but as times went by and company with her has gotten less and less unpleasant, Tori began to notice how beautiful she was. It was the kind of beauty that made you thank God that you were alive and on this planet the same time as this person. The amount of times she just wanted to break down and embrace her the way she used to with Beck.

Tori shook her head. The chances of Jade being gay or at least bi were slim. Still, it felt so good just to be her rock at this most difficult time. To have gone through such an insane task by an unseen madman. And to top it all off, bugging her house to try and catch those responsible for causing Jade's well-hidden misery. Tori isn't exactly impulsive but when it came to Jade, instinct has been winning lately.

* * *

Tori woke up sitting in a chair. _Must have gotten up in the middle of the night. _She stood up and saw Jade in her bed, still asleep. Standing over her just like back at her house that first night, Tori couldn't help but imagine Jade as Snow White with her creamy skin and dark, dark hair. A crazy thought surfaced and Tori saw herself leaning. Their lips were soon pressed together, tenderly. Tori savored this contact that she has dreamed of for a while before anyone came in.

A small smack was heard when the two sweet spirits separated.

Jade's eyes opened with a flutter. _It worked_, Tori thought.

"Is it morning already?" a groggy Jade asked.

"Mm-hmm."

Jade pointed to water across the room. "Please."

Tori obliged and Jade drank about a liter with no breaks. She wiped her mouth with her arm when she was done.

"How'd you sleep?" Tori asked.

"Surprisingly well. You?"

Tori shrugs. "Can't complain."

Jade fumbled with her empty water bottle. "Tori, you know when you wake up; that's when the dream is the most insane?"

She nods.

"Well, I just had the strangest dream and at the last moment, you and I…" Jade caught herself as if embarrassed to finish the sentence.

"Oh," a guilty Tori scanned the room for some kind of subterfuge. "How are you holding up?"

Jade folds her arms and sits more erect. "I'm feeling better. Can see myself getting out of this bed before the week is over."

"And?"

Jade narrows her eyes. "And by then, I should have a plan."

"Plan for what? Lucas?"

Jade nods.

"You gonna kill him?"

"That's too good for him," Jade crushing the plastic bottle. "I want to burn his empire, his legacy, to the ground."

Tori stood up. "You're going to need help." That wasn't a question.

Jade's mouth half-formed into that evil grin Tori knew. And feared.


	9. Chapter 9

Tori spent the last forty-five minutes talking with her dad on the phone. Her disappearance for almost 24 hours did warrant an explanation, Jade thought.

She hung up and walked over to Jade who was trying to dress herself. "It's all in motion."

"What?" Jade seemed distracted.

"Dad told me that it was going to take time but he believes he has enough evidence from dumping your phone's records."

"They can find him?"

"I guess. I kind of lost it when he got into triangulation and other stuff."

Jade rolls her eyes. "In other words, big mean man leave digital footprint."

"Here," Tori smiles as she helps Jade with her clothes. "Let me."

"I have to be able to do this, you know."

Tori sighs. "Yes, I know. But I like helping. Especially when it's you."

"Jeez, Vega! What are you made of; butterfly farts?"

Tori stood there looking hurt. Jade immediately regretted ribbing her. She touches her face delicately.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I know I can be difficult sometimes. You _are_ a good friend."

The two of them hug. The doctor catches them.

"Nice to see you're feeling better. Just don't overdo it."

Jade nodded, though mildly annoyed by the intrusion and scolding.

"Oh, shit." Jade says as she looks up at the ceiling.

"What is it?" Tori was caught off guard by the sudden outburst.

"I left some stuff at the house." Tori looked confused. Jade rubs her shoulders. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm staying with you. Lately my house has been…inadequate."

"Oh, okay, sure. I'm sure that my parents won't mind considering…"

"Will you come with me? I…really don't want to go back there myself. Not after what happened."

Tori kisses Jade on the forehead and nuzzles her neck. "Don't worry, Jadey. I'll stay with you."

"Tori?"

"Yes?"

"Call me that in front of people, and I will break your arm."

Tori giggles at the threat. _At least this whole thing hasn't changed her_.

* * *

They pull up at the West house, surrounded by yellow strips of "DO NOT CROSS – CRIME SCENE." Jade hesitated getting out of the car for a minute. Tori takes her by the hand and helps her.

"It's even more alien than before. Like I've never lived here. Like nothing ever lived here."

Jade feels the squeeze of her love around her shoulders. She breathes deeply and proceeds forward with Tori by her side.

The front door opens to a deathly darkness. Quiet.

Jade starts up the stairs. "Okay, I got this. Stay here in case a cop comes. I guess technically we're trespassing."

"Kay," Tori looks around and leans against the wall of the living room. She begins texting.

* * *

Jade paces around her room, her mind racing. _What else? What else? What else? I don't want to have to come back here. _Then she remembered the silver scissors from the set of her favorite movie that Cat gave her two Christmases ago. Jade runs to the closet and pulls the chain but the light bulb doesn't turn on. She shrugs and begins rummaging wildly through the junk.

_There they are! _They caught what little light shown through the window, glistening. Before she could make out what was moving in the scissor's reflection, a foul pain overcomes her head and everything got dark.

* * *

Tori thought she heard something upstairs. "Jade!" she calls out. No answer. Her senses made her run to the stairs and hallway up the steps came Jade literally flying toward her. The surprise and the awkward weight thrusted upon her made Tori stumble backward down the steps. Her leg was sore from the fall.

But Jade didn't look so good. She was out cold. After pushing her off, Tori felt her hair being pulled hard. She was dragged several feet back into the living room. When she finally got her bearings, she saw the face of a scruffy 40-ish man brandishing a knife before her.

"Hello, Tori."

That voice. There was no mistake.

"I'll ask you one more time, little girl: do I have you to thank for the cops showing up?"

Tori was so paralyzed with fear she didn't know what to say. Before she could even think to react, Lucas stood her up and bear-hugged her against his body. The knife stayed prominently in her face. She has seen this stance before in a movie on TV where a woman was raped in the park.

"What are you gonna do?" She didn't know what possessed her to ask that; like dangling meat in front of a dog.

"That's debatable. I mean, you gave your friend's phone to the pigs and now they're finding out everywhere I've been. You think you can shut _me_ down? I own half this city and the other half fears me. And you're going to learn all about fear."

Lucas's breath reeked with vodka. Tori wished he wasn't so close.

"Detective David Vega, LAPD. Who would've thought that the man at the peephole of every door of mine knocked down had a daughter? And not just any daughter, but the same girl I 'borrowed' the night before."

Lucas slides his hand down Tori's exposed skin under her shirt. "I hit the jackpot; this is too good to be true."

He then turns her head so their eyes meet. He studies her scared expression for a few seconds.

"Oh, I see. You think I was gonna…"

He smiles and pats her head like one would an animal.

"Sorry, you're not my type. I go for them a lot younger." Tori felt her stomach churn with how matter-of-factly he could say such a thing. Her thoughts were muted by the cold of his blade against her cheek. "Pity. A shame to waste it. I mean, you're so petite and those big eyes…"

Tori's breathing became more constricted as his arm tightened. "I bet you've never even been with anyone." Her not answering was the answer he wanted to hear. She suddenly felt something from below his belt that wasn't there before. "Well, well, well…maybe we _can_ make this work."

* * *

**A/N: Yikes! One more chapter to go! More fav's, more follows and more reviews. Let's keep 'em coming!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Move away from the girl."

The voice was familiar to Tori but she couldn't place it at first. David Vega's partner, Gary, emerges from the shadows with his firearm pointed squarely at Lucas's brain. He contemplates complying but keeps his knife steady at Tori's face.

"Don't do it, motherfucker. Think about it. You know what we love more than getting our hands on a cop killer? Scum who drags their families into it."

Lucas thinks better of it and extends his arm, both letting Tory breathe and allowing the blade to drop to the floor with a ping. Gary grabs his extended arm and puts the steel bracelets on him. Tori runs from her spot and positions strategically behind Gary like he was a shield.

"It's okay," Lucas smiles. "Just another case of circumstance and typical LAPD brutality."

Tori massages her throat. "I don't think so, asshole." And like the Babe before his legendary swing, she points seemingly into the distance. But Gary could see she meant the air vent. "Got you on camera. All of it."

She looks at Gary as he handles the retrained Lucas. "How did you find me?"

"I didn't. Your dad called and asked me to keep an eye on the house because he would pick you up. Then I get a call that he received a text from you saying you and Jade were getting a few things."

_Jade!_

Tori ran past the cop and creep toward the stairs where she left Jade. She turned her over and cried when she began to come around.

"Oh, wow," Jade rubbing her head. "What happened?"

Tori didn't answer but instead helped Jade to her feet. "It's okay, babe. They got him."

Jade looks at Tori's cheek. It was bleeding. Must have gotten closer than she thought. "What happened to _you_?"

"Lucas."

"What?"

"It's okay. It's okay. He's in handcuffs now."

Before Jade could say anything further, Gary enters the foyer with Lucas in tow. "Hey, West, long time no see."

Jade flashed back to being questioned about the Wanko's Warehouse incident. "You did good."

"Gee, thanks." Gary beams.

"Where's my dad?"

"On his way with backup. Just radioed him. Do you need to go to the hospital, Tori? Are you alright?"

She nods and Jade just looks at both her and Lucas with fiery eyes. "What did you do?" she asked her former "employer."

"Nothing, thank God." Gary interjects.

Jade glares at the monster, imagining he should burn for just the thought of harming Tori or anyone else in her life. And then there were her parents.

"Tori," Gary asks. "How did you know about the camera?"

She stares at the floor. "I put them there."

"_Them?_"

Jade had to act fast. She knew nothing about any cameras in her house but she couldn't let Tori fly at the mouth. If she said the wrong thing, it wouldn't be usable evidence.

"Yeah, Tori and I were trying an experiment. We wanted to make one of those 'Paranormal Entity' kind of movies. We were hoping to show it to school."

Tori points above their heads. "They're here and there throughout the house. This one caught the two men that ruffed up and shot Jade."

"And the one in my bedroom?" Jade asks looking at Tori.

She was so embarrassed. "Yes…"

"Then you also have where I was attacked, too."

Gary raises his hand. "Anywhere there _isn't_ a camera?"

Tori thinks for a moment. "Dining room."

* * *

Gary secures Lucas to the chair by intertwining the handcuffs and the back of the chair with a bike chain Jade found in the closet. He couldn't move.

He turns to Jade. "Jade, could you keep an eye on Mr. Lucas for me? Tori and I will wait outside for her dad and the others."

Before they leave her, Gary turns back and says, "It's going to be about ten minutes."

Jade winks and from behind her back produces a golf club. A five iron, to be more precise.

She approaches the demon from her nightmares with relish. "Funny thing. The pawn shop was only interested in the woods." She then raises up her club. "My game sucks, but they say my swing is improving."

When cops arrived, they found a very conscious, though very sore, Lucas. He was still tied to the chair but on the floor. Jade had already ditched the golf club and told Mr. Vega that "he fell…a couple times."

* * *

Jade drops her backpack and duffle. Tori drags in a trash bag as big and probably as heavy as her. She gives her a look.

"I don't have suitcases, okay" Jade shrugs.

"Well, that's everything."

Jade looks a little sad. "The bank takes the house tomorrow. Strange how my whole life fits into a couple of bags."

Tori squeezes her tightly. "It'll be okay. Dad says you are part of this family, now."

"It was either this or my uncle in Seattle."

Jade sits down on Tori's bed and pats it. "Sit."

Tori comes over and sits next to her.

"Why did you have cameras in my house?"

"Truth?"

Jade looks at her like she asked the dumbest question.

"I followed you one day. I even stowed away in your backseat."

"Uh-huh." Her eyes were staring right into Tori's soul.

"Remember that night when the electric company shut off your house?"

Jade nods.

"I was there. I saw you right up until you fell asleep. I felt so bad for you, I don't know what came over me. Probably the same thinking that made me answer your phone back at the hospital."

Jade inhales and exhales slowly, making Tori nervous.

"I just wanted to figure out what was wrong and I knew you wouldn't admit you were having problems. I'm sorry."

Jade slaps her. _How dare she?_

She then grabs Tori's face and kisses her. _I could've bled to death that night._

She slaps her again._ She had no right._

Tori was then the recipient of another kiss. _And she went through all this for me? Me._

Tori looks at Jade not knowing what to expect next.

"I," Jade begins. "I should be pissed but I have a hard time staying mad at you." She presses their foreheads against each other. "You're making me soft, admit it."

"What's wrong with that?" Tori lays down on the bed. Jade joins her and they look into one another's eyes. Next thing Tori knew Jade's pretty eyes were shrinking to narrow slits. "You falling asleep?"

"Yeah, so tired."

Tori wraps her arms around her as Jade buries her head into her chest, listening to her heart. The ambient sound was so soothing to her. It made her stop thinking about death and dying for long enough.

"Tori?"

"Yes?"

"Could you do it again? Sing it to me?"

"What?"

"That lullaby from the other night. Sing it for me, please?"

Tori closed her eyes along with her love and she began to hum, each vibration Jade felt as she drifted off.

* * *

**A/N: That's the end, folks. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. This was the longest and darkest one I have done yet. I think I will do something smaller (maybe a one shot) for my next one. And definitely much sweeter. So, for now, thank you all for making this my most viewed, favorited, followed and reviewed story on the site. I love this site and admire all of your talents. Peace!**


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